The wet weather is once again limiting the number of bears being killed.

On the first day of the bear hunt which began Monday, 257 bears were brought into check stations in the northwestern quadrant of the state. Tuesday, 52 bears were killed. Although there is normally a drop off after the the first day, the rain has put the brakes on the numbers even further, according to Patrick Carr, the supervising biologist with the state’s Division of Fish and Wildlife.

The DEP predicts roughly 450 to 500 bears will be killed this week. Last year 592 bears were killed.

Meanwhile, a legal battle is brewing in state courts over the animal-rights protest at the check station in Franklin Borough, where the Animal Protection League of New Jersey and the Bear Education and Resource group are still legally bound to organize at a site along Route 23. A lawyer for the activists said she expected a decision from the state Supreme Court sometime today.

Only one hunting violation has been reported so far during this year’s bear hunt. A 36-year-old Manville hunter was issued a summons by conservation officers on Monday for improperly taking a bear. Although he was not arrested, he will be issued a summons by the Department of Fish and Wildlife in municipal court, Washington Township in Morris County, said Larry Hajna, a spokesman for the Department of Environmental Protection.

Last year’s bear hunt resulted in one enforcement action, when a 17-year-old shot and killed a bear too close to homes near October Road in Jefferson Township, the DEP said.